


Pretending

by lilacnightmares



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Banter, Bickering Couple, Cats & Dogs - Freeform, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Flirting, Pining, Taunting, Teasing, Tormenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27561409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilacnightmares/pseuds/lilacnightmares
Summary: It was like they were on a merry-go-round with this agreement. They bickered like cats and dogs and yet, something felt right about it. Jumin feels as though his feelings towards her have always been more than he’d ever expected but it took getting close to her to find out what that meant.Work from Tumblr.
Relationships: Han Jumin/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	Pretending

Jumin couldn’t say that he thought his life would turn out this way. He couldn’t say that Gochi had a different opinion on the matter. After all, they both were in a similar boat and that boat was one where their parents expected them to rush into something with people that they didn’t even know. 

It was just the expected thing to do and while one wants to respect their parents’ wishes for their child, who could truly marry someone that they didn’t even know? 

At the very least, he wanted to be with someone that he could trust. 

He knew for sure that he couldn’t place any trust in Sarah or Glam Choi, and the idea occurred to both himself and Gochi late one evening after an outing together with Jihyun. Sure, the alcohol loosened up the tension quite a bit, but once they started talking it through, they both committed to the idea. The idea? 

Pretend to be in a relationship with one another to get their parents off their backs so they could focus on their work and their plans for the future.

Jumin wanted to devote his time to the company and put his attention into making the environment better for the workers and expanding his reach as far as he could go and well beyond that. Gochi wanted to expand her reach with her philanthropy, getting more donors to her numerous charities as well as the RFA since she had taken Rika’s former place. 

It seemed like they would be helping each other out by pushing into a relationship as far as anyone else knew, and it would be beneficial.

It wasn’t like either of them was fully committed to the dating scene or going out, and they knew that they understood each other enough to make it work. It would be the kind of relationship that worked to give them both what they wanted. 

If their feelings on the matter ever changed, then they could surely stop at any time and by that point, it would be likely that their parents would stop hounding them to make another life step. For the time being, however, it just felt like this partnership would give them a chance to live their lives in relative peace for at least a little while. 

It was just the easiest choice to make. 

Well, now that is what he would have said if he truly allowed himself to think it over clearly with a sober mind. Gochi was a stubborn girl who never had trouble speaking her mind when she felt like someone was stepping on her toes but in polite society, you might have never known that fact because she knew just what to say and how to say it. 

Well, to the people that mattered to her career, anyway. 

Her confidence and stubborn nature were some of the things that he respected about her the most but he didn't realize just how much the two of them would clash. Sure, it didn’t appear at first but it was only a matter of time until it sprang up in the tension. It went well at first, Gochi smiling dazzlingly at the Director and winning him over with her sincerity. 

His father couldn’t exactly say no to someone who knew her place in the world as far as he knew. She won him over in a matter of seconds with her confidence and firm exploits in caring for others, and the same could be said for himself. It went just as well with her mother who had been trying to get her to marry a man that she only knew by name and nothing more. 

When her mother saw that she was standing there with the Han Jumin at her side, well, she smiled and backed off her charge. 

As it was, her mother just wanted her to marry into high-status and take care of herself and the family. It was as if all of their problems disappeared at a moment’s notice and now they had nothing to weigh them down. 

Other than the fact that they had to maintain a social image. Sure, they both liked their lives to be very private but there was no doubt that their families would grow suspicious if they didn’t at the very least not deny a rumor whenever it sprang up. 

The RFA was supportive if a bit surprised that someone who had the gall to stare Han Jumin in the eyes and tell him off faster than Zen ever had and gladly do so with an eloquence that left him stunned. Zen was the most surprised given that she was fairly close to him. 

His immediate choice of reaction was to tell Jumin to take care of her or he would make him regret it. Jumin humored his request just because it kept him motivated. 

Assistant Kang was quietly supportive, as to be expected, she respected their private lives and the choice they both made. Seven seemed to thrive on it by cheering his best friend on for landing a shot with the number one bachelor in the country. Yoosung was happy to see them together because in his opinion, "I always sort of saw it coming!" 

Jumin couldn't say he understood why that was but hey, things were moving accordingly. Gochi had a great head on her shoulders and she had no problem at all settling into his life. They slept in separate rooms and more or less cohabited the Penthouse suite. 

It should have been business as usual and life shifting back to something that felt akin to the everyday. The keyword was that it should have gone back to what it was but it gradually began to change in ways that he couldn't disregard. It started with how she interacted with Elizabeth the 3rd. He noticed a change in how Elizabeth interacted with everything. 

She seemed far more lively and active, darting around the apartment between the legs of anyone that dared to step inside, looking for affection and gladly sharing it without so much as turning her nose up. 

When Gochi would walk into the room, Elizabeth would dart in her path and crawl into her arms. She had not done such a thing with Jumin, only settling on his lap after a long day of work as he reflected about his day on the couch. Gochi chuckled whenever it occurred and teased Jumin about it. 

"Looks like the little lady has a new favorite," she said. "I can't say I blame her. Her daddy smells of too much money for his own good."

Jumin raised a brow at that, "Oh? I suppose she prefers a Robin Hood such as yourself? One in which that takes from the wealthy and gives to the needy?" 

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Of course, Jumin,  _ darling _ . She knows I'm the only sensible person around here. Ingenuity and passion to get to where I am instead of having it handed to me. I'm not surprised she prefers the Tramp to the Lady." 

He couldn't respond that kindly. So, he merely kept his lips set in a line as she stroked the fur with a gentle touch. Gochi and he had vastly different opinions about wealth and status, which was why she got along so well with Zen when it came to that topic. 

She never hesitated to push his buttons and pin him down to talk about why he believed in certain projects or why he couldn't empathize with something. 

Jumin could admit to himself that when she pushed back, it did touch on his nerves but at the same time… the challenge kept him focused and determined to see her through until she saw otherwise. Perhaps, they were both too set in their ways, but when two logical minds met on the debate stage, there was too much fun to be had for it to end thusly. 

However, if he thought that she was going to stop at little comments, he had underestimated just how stubborn Gochi was. As much as he thought he knew his friend, it seemed more like there was still so much he had to learn about not only himself but for others as well. 

When he discussed fine subjects with her to get an opinion, she would be brash and blunt if she didn't like what he had in mind. 

If it was about gaining the trust of potential business partners and clients, she would scold him for going out on late-night dinners that were to quote her words, "laced with gold and a silver spoon," when if one wanted to prove the potential in a partnership? They simply had to lay out the facts and show them the numbers. 

_ Playing the handsome CEO wasn't always going to work for him _ , she'd say. 

She would make no mistake in citing what she thought he could do to better secure his deals, especially when they were out together working. 

The world would see a straight-forward man and his radiant partner right next to him as they smiled and played up the works but what they wouldn’t notice would be the way they played cat and mouse underneath their breath. She’d point something out and he would return his comment tenfold just as lighting fast. 

That certainly wasn’t the end of it, either. It was just the right amount of thorn in his side for him to disregard it but he wasn’t the type of man that ignored discussion. He thrived on conversation and the game that came from trying to learn how others felt and lived. It was an itch that he couldn’t scratch once it infected him. 

Gochi thought she was pushing his buttons and cornering him when in reality, all she was doing was giving him an interesting evening. Gone were the nights where he put on a polite mask and allowed the world to assume whatever they wanted of him. 

In their place were events where he stepped deeper into seeing how far he could make Gochi push him. Her confidence was as sharp as a knife and she never once hesitated to give him the truth. Jumin knew that it was a dangerous game to play. 

She had a fiery temper to match her burning flame of a personality and if someone stepped hard onto her toes, she’d bite back. However, he was the cat chasing after the canary. Gochi was supposed to be his friend who got on his nerves and made everyone wonder why they were close in the first place but even he had to admit when there was something more. 

For a while, he had let her think that she was getting to him in the same way that he would when he was deep into a discussion with Zen. 

However, the longer they were together, the more it turned into a genuine exchange of ideas and not just a way to tease someone. Tonight was no different than any other night, and he was deep on the dance floor with Gochi as they spoke quietly about their evening. 

“It seems you’ve made an impression on the Kang group,” Gochi kept her arms on his shoulders, eyes flickering in the direction of the aforementioned group. “I surely don’t know how. That cheesy line I heard you use surely wouldn’t have won over anyone I’ve worked with. I must commend you for that, at the very least. You somehow make the old-fashioned work.” 

He chuckled, “I think it had more so to do with the fact that they were taken with my girlfriend who had, and I quote,  _ ‘bright ideas about the success of our endeavors. _ `”

“Well,” Gochi said, looking at him with a nonchalant shrug to her shoulders. “As far as I could tell, the mutual benefit here would only do well for both companies. Since I’m working with them and yourself in my organization, what good would it do if I did not say something when I see that the numbers only prove success?”

“You took it upon yourself to make your presence known far before I did,” Jumin said. The fabric of her skirt twirled between the legs as they continued to glide across the floor. “It’s not often that I see you take the initiative at these parties. You tend to wait for others to approach you.”

There was something playful that flashed in her eyes, “Don’t like it when I take charge, huh, Mr. Han?”

Jumin paused if only for a moment, dipping her back so she had no choice but to gaze into his dark eyes. She bit back a gasp that escaped her throat but it came out despite her protest. His amusement was written all over his face. “As a matter of fact, I quite like it when you take matters into your own hands, future Mrs. Han.” 

Her white hair was tucked out of her face into a bun, with a flower tucked to the side keeping her bangs from covering her eyes. 

She never backed down from a challenge but at that moment it felt like she hesitated, wanting to play the silent part. He hadn’t ever gotten her to open and shut her mouth as she searched for a response. 

It appeared as though he had won this little debacle. 

“Now,” she drew in a breath and steadied her grip on his arm. “Whoever said that I would marry you, Jumin?” 

“I believe you did, darling,” Jumin countered with a smirk. “Forgive me for being forward in public, but I do believe I’m having fun playing our game. I might even dare say that I’ve come to cherish the way you challenge me. I don’t think I’d have any issue living with you trying to get under my skin for the rest of my life.” 

“Jumin,” Gochi warned. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned his face for something that she might not find. There was a warmth to her face that darkened her cheeks. “God, you’re serious, aren’t you? Now, when did I steal the heart of the wealthy king? Was it when I gave your money to the unfortunate or was it when I put you on the spot in front of everyone?”

She was clearly trying to mask her embarrassment with a joke, as she had learned to do ever since she started hanging around Luciel. But, honesty was written all over her face. Her genuine surprise and interest had peeked. 

“Hard to say,” Jumin chuckled. “Somewhere in between when you called me pig-headed for not knowing the extent to which some people struggle in this world and when you told me I had too much money for my own good.” 

“You’re ridiculous,” she managed. 

Dodging the elephant in the room, Gochi simply rested her head against his collarbone as she pulled herself back upright. It wasn’t easy for either of them to be vulnerable in ways such as this, but it just felt like the truth could easily slip out whenever tensions rose and they began to play their game of cat and mouse. 

“I suppose ridiculous would be asking you if you would like to discuss our relationship over drinks when we return home,” he returned. “But, I couldn’t say if you still think we’re playing a game with each other or not.” 

“You mean that genuinely?” she asked, lifting her head just enough to look at him through perplexed eyes. “You’re not playing around with me? You sincerely want to… people already think we’re together, and you’re implying that we actually should be? I must have had one glasses of wine too many, I can’t say I ever thought you’d be asking something like that.” 

“Only if you wish to change what we are,” Jumin said, simply. 

Gochi stared at him for the longest time. She didn’t say anything at first, she just let the thought run through her mind before she made up her answer. Jumin’s heart thudded against his chest as he had to listen and wait for her response. With her, everything felt like it was done in the heat of the moment, far faster than his methodical thought process allowed. 

But, she had shown him that if you wanted to take a risk, you had to clutch it tightly. 

“...” 

And so, the song ended, and her choice was due. Gochi didn’t dare remove her eyes from him as she made her answer known. 


End file.
